DHQ declares IPOB “militant terrorist organisation”, says Armed Forces capable of handling all threats to national security

*Parents should warn their wards against joining IPOB – General Enenche

In a release titled “Public Awareness on the State of Independent People of Biafra”, the Defence Headquarters rises on Friday to alert members of the public particularly those in the South East states and parents that the Nnamdi Kanu-led IPOB is a militant terrorist organisation.

It therefore urged them to guard themselves against the group and particularly warned parents against allowing their children to join the terrorist group.

In the release signed by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major General John Enenche, details were given as to how IPOB could best be taken for a militant terrorist organisation as against the “nonviolence” slogan being chorused around.

General Enenche said where IPOB stands today, it is no more or less than a militant terrorist organisation.

It would be recalled that in a stretch of one week, IPOB had got hanging on its neck the crimes of blocking, in Aba, troops of the Nigerian Army, who were deployed to the South East preparatory to take off of Operation Python Dance II on Saturday September 16, 2017 pelting and injuring them and other passers-by with stones.

What was more, a respondent commented, was for the sessionist group, assisted by a section of the media, to publish that troops invaded the home of his leader, Kanu and killed three people. The Army swiftly refuted the claim saying the truth of what happened in Aba was rather the blockage and pelting of troops with stones by youths suspected to be members of IPOB.

Oyigbo, Port Harcourt-based IPOB members, acting on Radio Biafra report that its leader Nnamdi Kanu home was invaded by the troops and ordered by Kanu’s second-in-command, went straight to Hausa community in the area on Tuesday killing people including a police sergent and destroying properties.

The same group also reportedly attacked the house of Abia State Commissioner of Police, Oyebade, before he was redeployed on Thursdsy.

In making its case however, the Defence Headquarters stated in the release detailed as follows:

1. The Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) group which has posed to be a security challenge in the Country, has been metamorphosing from one stage to the other. After due professional analysis and recent developments, it has become expedient, to notify the general public that; the claim by IPOB actors that the organization is non violent is not true. Hence, the need to bring to public awareness the true and current state of IPOB. In this regard, some of their actions, clandestinely and actively, that has been terrorising the general public among others include;

a. The formation of a Biafra Secret Service.

b. Claimed formation of Biafra National Guard.

c. Unauthorised blocking of public access roads.

d. Extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal road blocks.

e. Militant possession and use of weapons (stones, molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles among others) on a military patrol on 10 September 2017.

f. Physical confrontation of troops by Nnamdi Kanu and other IPOB actors at a check point on 11 September 2017 and also attempts to snatch their rifles.

g. Attack by IPOB members, on a military check point on 12 September 2017, at Isialangwa, where one IPOB actor attempted to snatch a female soldier’s rifle.

3. From the foregoing, the Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to confirm to the general public that IPOB from all intent, plan and purpose as analysed, is a militant terrorist organisation. Therefore, parents and particularly unsuspecting residents of the South East and other Nigerians should advice their wards to desist from joining the group.

4. The Defence Headquarters restates its commitment to handling all the security challenges in the Country and further assures all Nigerians of the protection of lives and property.